Disney California Adventure is no longer the laughing stock of the theme park industry. After 20 years, it is slowly becoming a full day park that is easily on par with Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida. Just do a park by park comparison, and you'll find the red-headed stepchild of the US parks now can hold its own!
It's got a distinct feel unique among all Disney worlds, and just like the third Disney park in Florida, the strengths are as obvious as the weaknesses. The biggest detriment is that this theme park is footsteps away from the most attraction filled Disney park on the planet: Walt Disney's original, Disneyland.
If you choose this park for your Southern California day, a little planning will help you see as much as possible. So, save time and see it all by following the suggested plan of attack.
Explore the beautiful Buena Vista Street, but keep an eye on the time.
2. Walk straight down past Carthay Circle Theater and past Avengers Campus to Cars Land entrance. Walk straight down street to the very end and a slight turn to Radiator Springs Racers. Ride this first. If you’re using Genie+, get a reservation first and then walk in the regular standby line. You’ll really want to ride this twice. Longest line in the park all day long. Riding once during the day and once at night is optimal.
3. Have breakfast at Flo’s V-8 Cafe in Cars Land. (When you exit the ride, turn left at the first street and it’s on the right past the gas station.) Sit on the patio, and you'll have a hearty breakfast with great views of Radiator Springs Racers and the Cadillac Mountain range. (If you walk past it until the end of Cars Land, walk just outside it under the tunnel and turn around. It’s a super impressive view of Cars Land. Really amazing.)
MOST IMPORTANT CARS LAND TIP: Come back at night right before sunset and watch then town's neon turn on. Explore the land once again. Trust me, this is as good as it gets! This is atmospheric California Adventure at its best. If you must choose one over the other, this walking tour experience is an equally beautiful choice with the World of Color nighttime show. You can't go wrong with either one.
4. After breakfast, go out and turn left back on the side street. Stay on it past Luigi’s Rollicking Roadsters on the right and keep walking until you reach Avengers Campus. (Ride Luigi’s and Maters Junkyard Jamboree when you’ve done everything else. They are fun, but they are carnival type rides.) Every shop in Cars Land has exclusive and cool merchandise you can't get outside the park. Avengers Campus does as well.
5. Try to get on WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure or book a reservation for it. If you can’t get on that, go to Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: Breakout (the old Twilight Zone Tower of Terror). If you've ridden Tower of Terror in the past, you'll be surprised how much this feels like an entirely new ride with a whole new vibe. Then, go back and do the ride you missed.
You’ve now done the three longest wait times and most popular rides in the park. Not that there won't be lines for the others, but you've conquered the most sought after attractions.
6. Look at the showtimes for the Spider Man robotic ("Stuntronic" in Disney speak.)
7. Watch for Super Hero character meet and greets. Usually Spider- Man, Captain America, Black Panther etc. and a lot of Disney+ "stars" that come out for limited engagements to promote their new series.
There’s also old California Adventure favorites: Soaring Over California, Grizzly River Rapids (Kali River Rapids in Animal Kingdom only wishes it were this good), and Redwood Creek Challenge Trail (Grizzly Peak area), the Incredicoaster, Toy Story Mania and the carnival rides (all in Pixar Pier), and the Little Mermaid ride is nearby; also check out the Monsters Inc ride, Mickey’s Philharmagic, and the Animation exhibits (Hollywood Land).
Have lunch at Pym’s Test Kitchen in Avengers Campus. (The food is shrunk or enlarged, depending on what is the normal look of an item.) If you want to splurge, you can, but even the most casual spots have generally terrific and tasty things to consume.
If you're at the park at the right time of year, the numerous booths at the California Food and Wine Festival are an option. There's not as many as at the Epcot festivals, but that is an advantage. It's a much easier decision.
The food booths on the Wharf are some of my favorite spots to eat as well as get some great entertainment by groups such as the Grammy Award winning Mariachi Divas. (By this Summer, it will be the Port of SanFransokyo including a character meet and greet with Baymax.)
Starbucks is inside Fiddler Fifer and Practical Café at the end of Buena Vista Street right by the entrance to Grizzly Peak.
There’s also a Ghiradelli’s ice cream soda fountain in the Wharf area.
There you have it. A time-saving and fun-filled day where you get the best of Anaheim's second Disney park. Is it an equal to Disney Hollywood Studios? Which park would you choose?
(Most photos copyright Mark Taft.)
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